


True Meaning of Playtime

by AmarilloSky



Category: Toy Story (Movies)
Genre: Blue both is and isn't The Blue, Canon Compliant, F/M, I don't do everyone justice, I may write a story where the boy gets more time, Lots of hidden things, Pete gets what he wanted, Saylor and Casey might be a future thing, She's a nod to "Onward" :D, Toy Story 4 stuff, the whole gang - Freeform, though I am still not Pixar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2020-06-28 18:18:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 18,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19817875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmarilloSky/pseuds/AmarilloSky
Summary: Prospector Pete frowned pointedly. "I thought you helped toys, Sheriff!", he then scoffed, "Oh that's right, Jessie's got more honor than you currently, too bad she's trapped"."By your kid wasn't it?", Bo challenged. She'd never met Pete, but she still didn't like what she'd heard on him.The Prospector's look softened, "It aint like that, she doesn't know what she's doin'", he then looked back to Woody, fire gone out, "Look I know I aint got no right to ask nothin' from ya...but Jessie does don't you think?". Woody turned back to him, trying to read if this was a trap, though he already knew it wasn't.





	1. Under New Management

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just setting up stuff

"I love everything about it!", the young woman with blonde hair that had straightened a bit as she grew, but still held a few delicate ringlets here and there in a very appealing fashion, said as she turned a small circle.

Her husband who watched this, amused and just admiring her again, was about to comment but he coughed on a bit of dust brought up by the box he set down.

Once that ended he did comment. "You sure? It's a bit...", he looked around as well, searching for the word as if it was written on one of the lamps hanging from the ceiling. "Drab", he finally found.

"Oh of course I'll paint it", the woman, Amy Davis, giggled as she turned to her husband, Andy. The latter rolled his blue eyes, but his smile was hard to hide. He shook his head again, though, "I'm not sure you're supposed to paint an Antique shop...", he looked around their most recent purchase, after moving nearer in to the area. Second Chance Antiques.

"Oh please, feel free", an older woman, the daughter of the old owner, said as she helped by bringing in one of the boxes Andy had been working at moving in from his car. Their small investments to their new...business? Andy supposed so. He wasn't really sure what he and Amy were intending here. Well. he knew where his thoughts tended to lie, someone had to look out for all these discarded memorabilia and match them to good homes and such. Like he had with his toys and Bonnie Anderson.

She’d called that summer after his first year, in tears, to explain she’d lost Woody. Well Mrs. Anderson has called for her, but Bonnie had then taken the phone. To explain she let him down. That the poor girl thought that went to Andy’s heart!

_A road trip_. The easiest place in the world for it to happen, and she hadn’t noticed, she’d been so focused on her handmade Forky, as kids were prone to, and had thought he was just there.

To say Andy wasn’t worried would have been a lie and...

_Was he sure he wasn’t just hoping to find him in a box someone brought in?_

Andy didn’t know. But of course he’d been reassuring to Bonnie.

With another smile, Andy walked over to take the box the woman helped bring in, "Thank-you, here let me get that, and I'm sorry again to hear about your mother's passing".

The whole reason they now had an Antique shop. She had no interest in running it, and her teen-aged daughter, Harmony, wouldn't be interested either when older, she said. Which was a shame, her mother had added in telling them, because she used to love the toys, but also had a bad habit of losing them.

From around the box hand off from the old owner to, well, new, a five-year old with her mother's blonde pigtails, but father's straightness, and his blue eyes, rushed around, two toys in hand, and in fact holding the "hand" of both toys. One was a Prospector Pete doll completely covered in rainbows and stars, both paint and stickers, while the other, a Velociraptor with a blue streak, had come away better. But then this child was not the one who had painted Pete. Raptor Blue's blue streak was factory given.

The girl glanced to both sides of the store. "Perimeter seems secure", she stated, "But why don't you make sure, Pete", she seemed to chose one of her two "deputies" (given her star sticker and father's old hat, she was probably playing Sheriff right now) at random and swung Pete out away from her to glide across the floor, and over towards a shelf.

"Woa!", Andy felt bad that in quickly assessing what to do, he kind of pushed the box back into the woman's hands as he rushed over to catch Pete before he hit a shelf of dishes. He breathed a sigh as he stood with the toy and turned to his daughter, bending down again to hand her Pete back. "Saylor, you're going to have to be careful in here", he gently explained, "There are breakable things everywhere, and some of the toys are very fragile", he added, knowing it was only a matter of time before she added to her "posse".

Not that Saylor always played Sheriff, but where as he had built a world and inhabited it with his toys, in her play, Saylor was always the main character and her toys supporting roles to her within the world. She still supplies their answers, though was also flexible and “played well with others”. In fact sometimes Andy would pipe up from across the room or such and supply the answers and she would roll with that!

Poor "Painted Pete" was one of the main ones and switched from Sidekick to Antagonist as needed.

"Ok, sorry Daddy", Saylor nodded and seemed to get it.

"Is that a Woody's Round Up Prospector Pete?", the old owner's daughter said stunned as she set the box on-top of the other brought in and walked over, holding out a hand to see the toy closer. Saylor glanced from Pete to her and whispered to him to "check her out for them" before handing him over, still giving him Reconnaissance.

"Ah, you do know your some back history", Andy grinned, "Yes...a bit...hidden behind paint", he smirked.

From where she was measuring for a banner or pattern, Amy turned to mock glare at her husband's jest, "Hey I improved him".

"Oh nothing a good painter couldn't fix", the woman said, then caught herself, and realized this toy was not an antique though. It still had a little girl. She smiled, "Though he's very unique as is". She pulled Pete's string. "My Biscuits are Burning!", Pete's voice-box declared. "What they got away with in the 50's huh?", she smiled before handing Pete back to Saylor.

"I use that when Mom's baking, though it never does that one", the girl said. She and Andy shared a small laugh.

"Alright, are we done with Teasing Mommy time?", Amy asked, coming over and dusting her hands from inspecting. Andy stood to give his wife a side hug that tried to make up.

The transaction was mostly done though. "I think the paperwork's good. Here's the key", the woman dug in her pocket before handing it to Andy. "You are now in charge of every dusty collectible in here. May you not regret it", she grinned to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so yeah, this is probably quite a move for them both but I couldn't resist for reasons and for my OC this looks like the perfect little town to grow up exploring


	2. Concern on the Horizon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some same old worries and some new ones

Jessie. Sheriff Jessie, as she had been for the past ten years, felt a sort of sense of déjà-vu as she waved her hands to try to calm a thankfully larger group of toys than they had been at the last Teenager Panic Attack. "Everyone please!".  
  
Dolly gave a sharp whistle, and the clamor stilled. "Hey, Jessie's talking alright? Listen up".  
  
Any Leadership Adjusting between the newer set of toys to come in all those years ago from Sunnyside and Bonnie's then current ones had thankfully been mostly smoothed by Woody in the year before he left, and was even further smoothed when Jessie took on the badge, not made worse.  
  
With Bonnie now Fifteen, it was a mostly well oiled-system. Situations dictated who took charge, and right now felt like Jessie's time since her set had seen this before.  
  
Sort of.  
  
"Ok, we have some time yet, Bonnie's only Fifteen", Jessie began.  
  
"Yeah so that's what, two years?", Mr. Potato Head said unhelpfully. Jessie shot him a look, especially as Trixie glanced between everyone, "Two years? Until what?".  
  
"The attic", Potato Head said in probably the least helpful tone.  
  
"Oh, I've heard a haunted theater has nothing on that as yet unseen space!", Pricklepants went on both worried and mysteriously. As Potato Head turned to answer, Jessie rubbed at her plastic nose, in a habit she hadn't realized she'd picked up from Woody, but then given he was her older brother in both her show’s cannon and just the affection they'd shared (hence the passing on of his badge all those years ago) maybe that made sense.  
  
She felt a hand at her shoulder and glanced over to see Buzz with his ever supportive smile. Oh if he hadn't been there when Woody left, Jessie didn't know how she would have handled it all! He could easily speak to the crowd of panicked toys, but he wouldn't take this from Jessie.  
  
Clearing her throat, Jessie turned to try again. “Hey, come on, it’ll be ok guys. We’ve been through worse”.  
  
She didn’t mention Woody, though she alluded to him. “The toys that impersonated a GPS and almost gave Dad a nervous break down?”, _granted she had helped with that..._  
  
“We can handle anything!”.  
  
There were glances between the toys. “Jessie’s right”, Dolly now entered the conversation, walking up to the other side of her, but not undermining either.  
  
“But it’s been a whole month!”, Buttercup protested, “she’s forgetting us...”.  
  
“No she’s not”, Jessie might have been a bit rushed in her reassurance. This was not like Emily...  
  
Andy had healed her cloth heart and she’d learned about that assumption.  
  
“What about last week’s sleep-over where all they did was make-overs?”, Mrs. Potato Head asked. Buzz felt Jessie stiffen beside him. He took her hand, and finally jumped in as well. “That wasn’t Bonnie’s idea”.  
  
Dolly waited for a word from Jessie, but the Sheriff was staring at her boots. Trying to think of words beyond the memories stirred up, but finding herself distracted.  
  
“Maybe today, when her little cousin comes in, Bonnie will be pulled into play-time”.  
  
This seemed a good enough hope. Jessie blinked out of her reverie. “Yes...yes of course”. With murmurs most of the toys filed off.  
  
Jessie sighed, “Thanks Dolly. Some Sheriff I’m making”.  
  
“Jessie you’re doing fantastic”, Buzz said. “Woody couldn’t be prouder, I know...or me...and I’m only sorry we haven’t met up with the carnival again to tell him”.  
  
This got a small smile out of Jessie, especially Buzz adding himself to that, before she frowned again. “Still...it’s different Buzz...watching it be a girl again...I...I don’t know if I...”.  
  
“Guys guess what!”, Rex came bursting into the room, cutting Jessie off, though there was really no need of her to finish that thought, and Buzz had already placed another hand at her shoulder. Everyone turned to Rex though, either curious or reproachful.  
  
“Were you outside the room?”, Dolly asked, “when we don’t have a good watch on Bonnie, or Mom and Dad?”.  
  
“Rex!”, Jessie sighed, “You know we need to watch it”.  
  
The fact that they had escaped all of their rule bending back ten years ago, and Mr. Anderson hadn’t watched them closer, and it didn’t result in hasty garage sales was a miracle.  
  
On the drive back, in safe moments, Pricklepants had told them all about toys who broke the rule and got supposed “haunted” and what happened to them.  
  
Rex’s paranoia at this was Jessie’s first Sheriff Challenge.  
  
“Oh...sorry...”, and Rex looked it, but then went on, “But I just heard, we’re going on another road trip! With Bonnie’s cousin, Casey, when he’s here! In the RV! We might even see Woody’s Carnival!”.  
  
Someone had to take care of Rex’s optimism, but first Mr. Potato was intrigued by one fact. “Hmm, Dad’s taking a chance on an RV again after what we did to him?”.  
  
“Well Bonnie’s uncle is driving.”, Rex said "Since he's the one who rented it". There were nods. Jessie prepared to try to explain to Rex that chance was against what he was hoping for, but even without a watch everyone heard the sound of Bonnie’s feet rushing towards her room.  
  
“Quick!”, she said, and everyone rushed to their shelf or closet spots of before. Buzz had been in the closet, but joined Jessie in her spot under the bed, since he knew how hard her being there again during this, growing stages, was. She gave him a grateful smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I know, Jessie's had too long to not be sure of herself in this Sheriff role, but it's not that I think she isn't, it's just memories are harder ya know?


	3. Not the Best Candidate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet the Evil Emperor and his lieutenant...sort of not really

The first thing that made the toys not so sure about Casey was his favorite toy. Emperor Zurg. Though that wasn't really something to hold against the seven-year-old boy. Still, after playtime (where he had been ecstatic to find his older cousin owned a Buzz Lightyear!) before the similarly dark haired little boy was called down for some pre-trip pancakes, Buzz instantly went on the alert when the toys were all left alone.

"Please tell me you know you're a toy...", he pointed his laser, and...didn't mean to exactly be in front of Jessie, she, as Sheriff, could handle herself. Buzz just knew the toys in his set had a bad habit of not always knowing that, but this Zurg had been with Casey for a while. He laughed, though his tone of laugh never sounded good per-say.

"Of course, though I shall still crush you, my enemy!". He was obviously kidding, though Buzz still found himself having to fend off both foam "blaster" balls and objects even after playtime was over. Jessie and the others laughed.

* * *

Meanwhile a perhaps worrying conversation was had downstairs over breakfast. Both Bonnie's parents and visiting aunt and uncle had eaten fairly quickly and were now preparing everything for their trip, leaving Bonnie and Casey eating alone at the table currently. "Hey, so what are you gonna do with your Buzz Lightyear?"

Bonnie looked up from her phone to watch Casey pour way too much syrup on his pancakes as he asked this, the boy not looking up, but the question obviously directed at her. She sighed, knowing what he was getting at, and thinking. _She had let down Andy Davis enough..._

"I...I don't know Casey...", Bonnie began.

"I'll take him!", Casey jumped in, now glancing to her. Bonnie winced. That was what she was afraid of. She could not defend keeping any of her toys at Fifteen, and if her young cousin expressed an interest, but...Casey was probably the roughest little boy she knew.

"Yeah...here's the thing, he was a gift, and...I already lost one toy and...hasn't your Zurg lost his arm like five times?".

"I popped it back in each time", Casey said as if this made everything ok.

Bonnie sighed again.

* * *

Upstairs, Buzz had only thrown the pillow because he was becoming tired of the onslaught. He did not expect to actually take both of Zurg's arms with it! "I am so sorry!", he and Jessie both worked at one side, fixing the Evil Emperor and popping his arms back in.

Zurg laughed again, moving one arm as it was put back, testing the connection and finding it held, "Oh it's not you, they've been loose for a while, Casey's a bit...energetic. Forgets I'm an Emperor...not a baseball, you know".

The toys in the room all looked between each-other.

"Well, at least he can't play Baseball in an RV right?", Potato Head asked, in the height of worried sarcasm about the one kid that was coming on this trip with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry sort of short ^^


	4. Earth to Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Andersons old and new try this again...we'll see later how that works out for them.

"Well, what do you think?", Casey's father asked as he showed off the extra-wide camper he had rented for the trip, and so his brother, sister-in-law and niece could also sleep comfortably in their own bunks and not be too squished up with the six of them all in one. Or a space above the drive-cab should do for the teen, and Casey could sleep on the fold out couch.  
  
"As long as you are driving...I feel good", the older Mr. Anderson said.  
  
His younger brother smirked at him, "Oh yeah, your Haunted Camper".  
  
"Don't start, it was, I almost got arrested".  
  
Bonnie's mother smiled over to her sister-in-law, "The story's...grown a bit over the years".   
  
The woman giggled, then turned to her son who was playing. "Casey, don't kick your cousin's toys, now Bonnie is being nice enough to let you bring them".  
  
Casey looked up from where he'd been kicking Buzz against a nearby tree. "But Mo-o-m, Buzz was just captured and he's in Zurg's Twisty-Go-Round torture chamber".  
  
"Well, let him escape", Casey's mother insisted. Not gathering that that was not how an Evil Emperor's Fortress worked. "Fine", Casey sighed, and set him on the porch railing as he went inside to get the box of other toys to take with him on the trip.

* * *

Since it was the summer before her first year of real school, and Kindergarten, Saylor was allowed to go with her parents to the store the next morning as they did more work towards opening, and she was more than eager about it! Even rushing through the door once her father had unlocked it.  
  
The lady they bought the store from had left plenty of the memorabilia the store had had before (almost everything but a few personal pieces for their history) and Saylor planned to scan the shelves.  
  
And not normally either!  
  
From her imagination _the whole store was a jungle of sorts, with trees and hills._  
  
_“Blue, tell me if you sniff out anything, not everything in here might be bone...”. Though she had no hat for it, taking a real raptor with her on her paleontology excursion, running into other living dinosaurs was a risk of the journey! Blue walked besides Paleontologist Saylor, both on the alert._  
  
_“Ah!”, rounding a corner, Saylor screamed as she came face to face with two horrifying mummies (two ventriloquist dummies on a shelf)!_  
  
_Blue jumped out to snap at them. "It's ok", Saylor called her back, "They're dead...though I don't think the museum will need those. Let's keep looking"_. Even amidst her play, Saylor recalled her father had said not to knock things off shelves, so Blue didn't all out attack the dummies.  
  
_The shelves of dishes and things were more like the mounds they were looking for. “Oh Blue! Look!”, Saylor bent to pick up a half buried spoon-bone and examined it. “Do you know what this is?”, she asked rhetorically. Sometimes Blue could talk, but here she was more a companion like a smart dog._  
  
_“The bone of a Ankle-Biter-saurus-a-don!”, Saylor beamed and glanced to it again, “It was two whole kinds of dinosaur! Why the museum will pay a fortune for it!”._  
  
_Saylor put it into her bag (an old newspaper bag). The first treasure of the day and excursion! They moved on. _Unbeknownst to them, and back within the normal setting of the shop, a few of the porcelain figures and the dummies either just looked after or discreetly peered around shelves at the girl with full access now to an antique shop.  
  
_Chairs and tables made higher mountains. "Hmm...", Saylor ran her hand along a dirty side of granite formed by a dusty dresser. "This rock could be harder to get to...". No sooner had she spoken, though, than a tiny tremor opened up a chasm as a draw fell. Saylor bent to inspect, and found a gold mine of bones from a silverware set!_  
  
_“Hmm...they have one of those...this is a maybe...oh hello!”, she smiled to the tiny tin toy behind the silverware drawer. Had she just discovered a group of inhabitants to this uninhabited desert?!_  
  
As she sat up, the desert faded as Saylor noticed a lamp on the table that was the chasm. She couldn't immediately fit it into play because it, by itself, intrigued too much.  
  
“Oh wow!”. It was a Mule lamp with a desert patterned base, compete with wooden cart, and cactus shade. The mule wasn't attached to the cart, but seemed to be eyeing it warily from the other side of the lamp, ears drooped.  
  
Saylor giggled and, reaching out, found he came off the base! She didn't know if he was supposed to, the spot where he stood before on the base was dull unpainted ceramic, but he seemed ok for coming off and had a sturdy enough spot to sit, if one remembered he wasn't attached. She studied him a bit more. He was a good size. It gave her an idea. Jumping up, leaving Blue laying beside the table, Saylor ran off, mule still in hand, and yet was soon back, this time holding Prospector Pete in her other hand.  
  
"Look Pete! I might have found ya a mule, let's see". She sat him on the ceramic mule. His legs dangled to the mule's hooves and she could see the mule having problems, or protesting, if Pete actually tried to ride him, but that made it better in her mind. "He's perfect! Your name's Dynamite!" she told the mule before setting Pete down next to Blue to pick up the lamp and rush to the front of the store.  
  
Andy was arranging the front counter.  
  
"Daddy! Daddy! I just have to have this lamp!", she declared and showed. Saylor was not a spoiled kid, but her parents did tend to not deny her much, and when she asked so earnestly. "See! This is Dynamite and he's perfect for Pete! Don't you think?".  
  
With a smile, Andy bent to inspect this mule that had so thoroughly won Saylor over. He was cute he had to admit. "Yes, I'd say he is", he admitted, "And I'd say he and his lamp will cost you...oh...about two hugs?".  
  
"I'll give you forty bazillion!", Saylor said, launching over to hug her father. "Sold", Andy declared with a bright smile and hug back, careful of the lamp his daughter now held. Saylor left the base in the care of her father and rushed back over with Dynamite for Pete and Blue, and to put the spoons back, because their next game was Rock Collecting...  
  
_It was just the typical western town Saylor often protected. She wasn't Jessie specifically, just her own kind of Sheriff, and Pete's bum of town role was sort of fitting of his general role too. The old man's old mule snorted beside his cart. "Just a few more loads there Dynamite. This is the biggest haul of chocolate any one's ever found!". Pete turned to the velociraptor also beside the cart. "Blue, you keep an eye out for the Sheriff". The dinosaur gave a curt nod._  
  
_With the cart full of his chocolates that looked like bottle-caps, Pete climbed onto Dynamite. “Let’s go!”._  
  
_"Not so fast, Starry-Pete", Saylor tipped her hat up and scrutinized the town bum. "What's the hurry?", Sheriff Saylor double checked her holster complete with grappling-hook idly._  
  
_She walked purposefully over, peering into the cart and then to Pete. "Where'd you get the chocolate?"._  
  
Watching his daughter's game from over his shoulder, Andy smiled and put one more bin for receipt keeping on a shelf behind the counter, before he decided she was too cute and enough work had been done. Nothing doing, he wanted in! "Oh, Sheriff, howdy, uh...here and there, you know?", he did his best Pete voice from still on the step ladder.  
  
Saylor giggled at the voice, but got back to the game and went with his inclusion. _"That so...", she walked around the counter/cart, then took up one of the bottle cap chocolates, inspecting it. "Because seems to me these look like the special chocolates Farmer Timmy has in his barn and said went missing last week" (if their game called for needing Farmer Timmy, Saylor had decided he was the tin-toy back on the other table)._  
  
_"What, no, no" (under Andy's directions), Pete hopped off Dynamite to grab back the chocolate and place it back in the cart, "Never, that was ghosts what stole poor Timmy's haul"._  
  
_"That's not the story he tells", Sheriff Saylor protested, crossing her arms. "He says he saw someone fat, someone like you!"._  
  
_"Well he always was insulting and...what's that?"._  
  
_Sheriff Saylor took the bait and turned, allowing Pete to rush off._  
  
Even mid game with his daughter, Andy was careful of his speed in the store as he snatched up an airplane model.   
  
_"Sorry Farmer Green!", Pete called as he made a dash into the barn and crashed through the other side in the early era flight machine. "I'm borrowing this too!"._  
  
_Rushing to catch up, Sheriff Saylor squinted at him as poor Dynamite watched forlornly that him and his cart were not needed anymore. Blue just watched._  
  
_Saylor sighed, then glanced to the mule. "You think it's time to let Pete know about that addition we never told him about?", she asked the mule. Dynamite perked up. Saylor hit a button on Dynamite's cart and two rocket boosters popped out._  
  
_Saylor still left the lamp safely on the counter though as she took the mule with her for her riding the mule attached to the rocket boosters after Pete. Once he was lined up in her sights, she took out her Gary-Grappling-Hook, "Pete! You no good skunk, that's not what flight's for and stop stealing from the farmers!", she fired, and missed of course. On across the sky the chase continued._  
  
Pete had long ago realized that Saylor's father was 'The Andy' Woody mentioned over and over again, and though both Saylor and her mother had brought his own cloth heart towards understanding, finally, about Playtime, he could only imagine the jealousy that would burn up Sheriff Woody's, wherever he had ended up, if he knew the privilege the Prospector doll he would probably call unworthy was currently granted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What to say about this? I over analyzed Saylor's playtime to make sure it didn't go above a five-year old's ability at conceptualizing and terminology, but then she's got some imaginative parents.
> 
> Also I love Gary-Grappling-Hook and he should never have been thrown away!


	5. Holding it All Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buzz survives and Jessie is worried.

"Wohoo!", holding Buzz Lightyear out before him, Casey bounded down the steps of the RV at their first stop, a rest stop. He was not the only one to exit the RV, though, and not only because the adults all exited to stretch as well . Bonnie was thankfully taking a nap, and her mother and aunt preoccupied around the back of the RV chatting.  
  
They would have to play this safe but it was doable...  
  
"Do we still have visuals?", Jessie asked discretely, peering out after Buzz and the boy. Three peas rolled along the ground after the boy, stopping at various spots around the perimeter. "Check and check", Dolly said, checking Trixie's tablet screen hooked into the RV's cameras to watch for any codes transferred through hopping the peas, Peatey, Peatrice, and Peanelope, might do.  
  
It had been hard, to impossible, to hide the Buzz Lightyear from the kid, and in such an enclosed space, and with Bonnie encouraged to share with her cousin. As of yet, no damage had happened in the RV. Still, and without knowing the full extent of what Zurg tried to warn of (were they talking a Sid situation?), tree kicking of that morning aside, the toys attempted to keep Buzz safe.  
  
Zurg stood ready to deploy the LGM's after the peas if backups were needed.  
  
Casey stopped first at one of the side parking spots. The chain between two poles for marking off the space was broken with one end laying on the ground, which he tied around Buzz's waist so the Space Ranger could fully take in the surrounding planet from the height of the pole. "I know Zurg's around here somewhere, planning something", Buzz said, "time to do a sweep of the area!". He flew up, not noticing the electric line attached to his ankle discreetly by one of the peas that were forced to freeze when Casey noticed them and implemented them in the game.  
  
 _As Buzz made a circuit of the planet, he was pulled more and more into one area before he wrapped around a tower. The ground around it then opened up and he was lowered into the bowels of Zurg's fortress, though the pole remained fixed._  
  
From the RV the toys glanced to Buzz laying upside down, held up by the chain and resting with his head on the ground.  
  
The boy was enthused, but no one saw a reason to panic just yet. Leaving Buzz where he was, Casey rushed back towards the RV. Everyone scattered to their original positions.  
  
Casey came rushing back out with Zurg.  
  
"A hahaha!", Zurg gloated, "You fell into my trap, Buzz Lightyear! Now, prepare for my torturing process!".  
  
As long as it was a Zurg torturing process, and within the realm of pretend...  
  
Snack chips were not that deadly projectiles...  
  
 _"How do you like my Flying Stars?!", Zurg asked._  
  
 _"Won't talk, huh?", Zurg inquired after the bag ran out. Buzz Lightyear just glared stubbornly._  
  
 _"Well how about...the potion of death?!", Zurg asked. He next squirted grape juice at the toy from a juice pouch._  
  
 _"That all you got Zurg?!", Buzz asked, and Zurg just grinned before a giant THUD sounded behind the trapped Space Ranger..._  
  
So, in trying to be fair, Jessie wasn't sure if the birds attracted by all the food thrown about and hanging around the pole, pooping on Buzz was all Casey's fault...but still, now this was becoming a situation to watch. Even without the peas, Jessie motioned, and Potato Head, now Map-Head, attaching his pieces to a spare paper map Bonnie's Dad had (they had ruined him on GPS, or he always had a paper back-up system now and even in his brother's RV) slunk out and over to attempt a rescue, and with Zurg busy being part of the game.  
  
From upside down (and between white gunk), Buzz watched...and didn't want to say he doubted his friends' rescue abilities...but he also sort of missed Woody; though watching Jessie take charge and signal from the van was reassuring.  
  
 _Back in Zurg's space ship, Buzz Lightyear was giving in._  
  
 _"Ow, ok, ok, I'll talk!", he complained as the Terror Bird's acid hit him._  
  
Buzz wasn't sure what was more insulting, the...current situation, or this young boy's blatantly wrong assumption that he would give in and start talking after the first torture attempt! Ok, second, but either-way.  
  
"Casey!", his mother came out to supervise her son, and inadvertently saved Buzz both literally and game-wise by coming over. "Stop throwing your food around, come on, get Bonnie's space man and come inside, we're about ready to go".  
  
The other toys quickly and discreetly rushed inside the camper themselves as Casey untied Buzz and entered also; but not before his mother stopped him to scan the now dirty toy. "Casey", she sighed, but the toy being dirty wasn't the same as his before kicking him against a tree, and she was sort of more concerned with putting such a dirty toy back into the camper.

A few baby wipes and a rinse off at a dog watering station cleaned him to her satisfaction, though, and she handed him back.

* * *

There was actually a closer RV camp that Casey’s father proposed stopping at...if his brother’s paranoia didn’t dictate they keep going to one a few more miles out.

* * *

It was later that night, when the family was asleep after setting up at their spot, that the toys could meet up and assess Buzz, who wiggled free of where Casey had held him while he slept.  
  
"He'd make a fine Space Cadet, wrong view of Zurg aside", Buzz tried to find a compliment as he moved one of his joints, "though a bit heavy handed yes". The bird poop was thankfully easily buffed out.   
  
Jessie frowned worriedly. "Buzz we can't let you go with that boy, you'll end up like Zurg! No offense", she told the Emperor.  
  
"None taken", Zurg waved a hand dismissively...and his arm fell out again. As he watched Dolly snap it back in, Buzz had to admit, he was more than a bit concerned, but he smiled for Jessie's sake.  
  
"Not to worry, Jessie, we don't know yet that Casey will take me".  
  
"Yeah, just because he quotes the show and has already chosen you as his sleeping buddy", Potato Head was just being him, but Jessie had suddenly had it.  
  
"Will you just shut it for once!", she shouted to the spud, then everyone paused and glanced towards the humans with the realization Jessie might have been loud. When the coast was clear, and they came back to the moment, it was broken a bit. Jessie sighed and walked off. No one followed. Not immediately.

* * *

"Hey...you alright?", Buzz found Jessie on top of the RV, legs pulled up and head resting on them. She turned away. Buzz sat beside her. He sighed, "Jessie...".  
  
"I can't do it again, Buzz...I can't!", Jessie said. Buzz didn't ask what she meant. He knew, even without her holding her badge where she'd clearly been looking at it.  
  
"You won't have to", he placed a hand at her shoulder. Jessie semi-surprisingly turned and hugged him, and Buzz just hugged her back.


	6. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One little boy and a whole lot of mayhem.

Everyone tried a new approach in the Save Buzz Mission, and utilized Sunny Side Techniques. When they got a space of time, they would yank him away to where Casey couldn't find him and someone else would take one for the team for a bit. The boy would be confused about where Buzz had got to, but it seemed to work...for the most part.

_"How do you like my Terror Monster, Lightyear?", Zurg gloated from his pinnacle tower that was just the napkin holder of the RV. Trixie, big as a house, roared and brought her massive feet down to try to squish Buzz time and again. The Space Ranger was rocked by the vibrations and rolled this way and that to avoid the massive feet, her dance keeping him pinned in where he couldn't escape fully..._

Bonnie stepped back into the RV and watched her young cousin and his game for a bit. Casey currently pummeling Buzz with Trixie wasn't the most damaging, at least. Still...maybe best get him onto another track.

“Hey so one of the park rangers is giving tours around here. We could go do that if you want”, she offered.

Casey glanced up at her unsure, and Bonnie couldn’t blame him. It wasn’t all watching out for her toys...as well as sharing, her parents had asked her to “be nice” to her little cousin, and that entailed “doing stuff”.

“Come on it’ll be fun and we'll be back by lunch, but leave the toys”, Bonnie coaxed again and went back down the steps.

Casey glanced to Trixie, Zurg and Buzz...and stuffed them quickly into his backpack. “We’ll continue the battle on the go!”, he whispered before following Bonnie out.

The toys discreetly watched them go.

"Oh I don't like this...", Hamm muttered.

* * *

"Now this well used to sit on the grounds outside in the days before plumbing and is said to...", the park ranger was going on as they stood inside the main building of the reserve's park headquarters, with plaques and interesting things...like the well. Casey had tried to listen, even trying to take the similar titling and imagine the man as a Space Ranger giving important details...but it didn't help and he wasn't.

He glanced to Bonnie, then the others on the tour, and waited out his moment.

“Bonnie?!”. It was one of her school friends also on vacation recognizing her that gave Casey his break.

Rather than dashing off, as he would have thought would work best, he then lagged by the well after the group left, and while Bonnie and her friend chatted.

“Now...”, he dumped the toys out, “back to Lightyear’s defeat!”.

It was perhaps little surprise that Casey could not resist the opportunities the well in the middle of the room presented for Playtime, and he skipped how Buzz had escaped the Terror Monster a bit to now continue the story with him escaped, and standing on the ledge, gloating, and Zurg over on the bench and with the Terror Monster roaring at him from the floor.

_"Ha! I foiled you Zurg!", Buzz gloated_ , and outside play, Buzz was pleased to see he could gain an upper-hand every now and again in this boy's play. Casey next pulled up the bucket from the well. Buzz remained motionless and didn't give into the temptation to glance behind him nervously of where the boy could be going with this...

He saw Trixie and Zurg almost break stance but they didn't.

_"Oh yes, very clever Lightyear...", Zurg paced, hands brought up before him methodical and planning. "Yes, you'll fly away and I don't supposed there's anything I could possibly do...except my next move!", he declared._ It all happened fast in play but also even outside of it. Being the main building there was a vending machine, and therefore an ice machine near it. Casey quickly filled a bucket and then launched the ice gathered from it across the room...causing two things to happen of which he was immediately only aware of the one...

Buzz could see how it would play out...he would fall down the deep well...except Casey actually didn't hit the rim with his projectiles and they scattered out and off across the room haphazardly from the base of the well as the boy was back over with Trixie. In play Buzz ducked and the Terror Monster launched up for an attack...before a noise registered that had no part of the story.

The Seven-Year-old turned and his eyes went wide even as he heard Bonnie's sharp call of his name. "Casey!".

She was just annoyed he'd wandered off, but...in his shock, Casey dropped both of the toys he held. Buzz clattering to the floor of the building while Trixie went down the well...

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, was he important...".

Their tour-guide, and head ranger, had come back with the group for the straggling boy but now saw what he meant, and as Casey rushed over to it. On a mantel of the building had been a porcelain diorama of a mountain man (a little smaller than a barbie doll) holding a rifle up to a bear that loomed over him. Now the bear loomed over nothing because the man was on the floor, broken at the waist, rifle snapped off as well.

After keeping everyone but Bonnie in the hallway, due to the ice, the ranger next entered the room carefully and sighed as he picked him up, "Are you alright there, sonny?", he checked first and foremost. Casey nodded but glanced to the figure again, causing the ranger to sigh again and answer, "Old Jeb, he had a tie to the well, if you recall my story" (Casey didn't) "and I don't know if he fought a bear, but it was just a display and...we can glue him but this is why we post no climbing on the displays or rough-housing". He still made his point firmly but not sternly, watching as the janitor came to get up the ice!

"Yes Sir", Casey nodded.

"Casey...", Bonnie wasn't over being annoyed at him for running off and scaring her (and causing property damage and slipping hazards!), and now she saw, and picked up Buzz. "I told you to leave Buzz, and your own toy, back at the RV".

Casey gasped again, "Oh no your dinosaur!", he rushed to the well.

"Dinosaur? What dinosaur? Trixie?!". She was the one he had been playing with before.

Casey nodded sheepishly, "I think she went down there...", he pointed.

"How deep is it?", Bonnie asked, turning to the park ranger, and felt like she was too old to be making such a mountain out of a mole hill...but it was worth asking right?

"It doesn't have a true bottom, there's a grate, but it flows out in case the roof leaks in bad weather. Hang on, I'll get a flashlight and a pole".

Bonnie felt even more uncomfortable and torn at such a fuss over one of her toys, when she was Fifteen now, as the park ranger left, setting Old Jeb on the mantel, and came back with a flashlight. "Well, I'll be...", he said, "I mean we put the grate in for keys and such things as this but...it's not there. May have actually bounced out the hole". Bonnie and Casey looked, there was a pipe at the edge of the drain.

"Was it important, young man?", the ranger of course asked Casey, thinking all of this for the sake of the kid.

"No...", it was Bonnie who spoke, and before they had to do pipe-work on a building all for a toy. "It...it was just an old toy of mine. It's fine". She sounded disappointed but shrugged. The man nodded.

"I really am sorry Bonnie...", Casey muttered as they left, letting her hold Buzz in one hand and holding Zurg in the other.


	7. To the Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Woody and Bo "peeps"! ;)

Once the room was clear, activity soon became visible, but not from people. The carnival was set to come back to Great Basin, where it had first gained Woody and Bo Peep, but for now the truck was pit-stopped, and Woody and his crew of toy rescuers had explored this national park as a way to find more kids before the truck set out again.

And rescue toys while they were at it.

The first of which had been a bust as Casey didn't notice Bunny almost desperately flop himself into the light before Bo and Woody discreetly called him back to the shadows of the room when it was clear the one child to remain in the room, Casey, didn't see him. Bunny and Ducky's connected stitching had come apart years ago.

They were forced to watch the Buzz and Zurg show down (Woody and Bo both grinning to see their old friend again) and before they noticed both incidents. Woody could barely take in seeing Bonnie again as she came back for her cousin as he planned up what to do about Trixie and the figurine mountain-man.

Bo had it, though, and through mostly points re-instilled in everyone their prospective duties.

Once the coast was clear, they moved.

Bunny and Ducky rushed over, a trick flip from Duke getting Giggle Mcdimples up to the mantel to help Old Jeb onto an old sock tied to the line feeding from Duke's motorcycle to the ground, where Bunny and Ducky stood ready to take in slack and help guide the make-shift stretcher down. The bear, who actually had nothing against Old Jeb, moaned worriedly.

"Not to worry", Giggle reassured, "we'll have him patched up in no time!". She then turned her attention to Old Jeb as she and Duke carefully put his two halves on the stretcher, "You just hang in there. Our friends down there will set you right".

Breaks were odd with porcelain, too much and they could essentially die, if they shattered completely. Bo's arm didn't bother her, but Jeb couldn't say he didn't notice his damage. "I always imagined it might happen" he sighed, sounding weak, but not in pain, "every curious child who tried to pick me or Teddy up before they were stopped, still...I only wonder what being part of the actual game would have been like. I weren't made for that I know, still...".

Bo could have answered his question, but he didn't know to ask her, and she was busy over with Woody, lowering the cowboy down on some heavy yo-yo string himself to peer into the well. "Trixie? Trixie?! Can you hear me? You alright?", he called, once he got close enough for his old friend to hear. To his relief, Trixie soon waddled to the beginning of the pipe.

Woody sighed, "You alright?", he asked again.

"Is that what it's like?", Trixie answered his question with one of her own, "...just an old toy...", she repeated what Bonnie had said, and it went to Woody to hear the usually upbeat triceratops so down.

"Hey...there was a room of people and her friend...", Woody had to try to defend Bonnie, and felt he knew where the sweet girl had been coming from.

"Woody?", Bo called down, steadying the rope.

"We're coming Bo!", Woody shouted up, then glanced back to Trixie. "Hey...you remember how much I talked about Andy?", he brought up, despite what it meant for him. Trixie glanced to him. "Well he once called us all junk without meaning a word of it, just so Mom would stop asking questions. Kids are complex Trixie and you can't give up that easy".

Trixie gave a small smile.

"She rushed over to check didn't she?", Woody also pointed out, walking along the grate and over to her, "come on, let's get you back to her so she can show you how happy she'll be". Trixie came out further and Woody hugged her about her middle to hold on as best he could while Bo hauled them both up with Bunny's help, spared from where he and Ducky had been taping Old Jeb back together as well.

Once everyone was convened in the middle of the room, Bo double checked the tape with her personal knowledge of both porcelain and tape, and gave her nod of approval. "You're welcome to come along", she told Jeb. The mountain man glanced to his bear though and shook his head. "Thankya kindly ma'am, but...they'll figure something more permanent out and...they need me, I'm a historic piece".

Bo just nodded, and Woody's salute seemed to find a measure of respect for the choice before they helped him back to the mantel to at least be in one piece until morning and left.

"Bonnie's just at the RV park!", Trixie sounded her usual self again and Woody smiled.

"Well then that's the easiest thing in the world! We're going there next! Hop in the truck, we'll take you".

Trixie, unaware of the misunderstanding she'd let arise, danced slightly and followed them over towards their truck.

Of course she forgot there were two RV parks all but near each-other, though the other Bonnie was at was more of a campground.

"Unless you'd...you know, like to find a kid who's less risky. The boy I mean", Ducky said. Trixie actually gave this some thought, but shook her head. 

"No...we're not Casey's...at least not yet...we're all worried about how much he likes Buzz and how rough he is but...no I gotta go back". This was Trixie's first brush with having to consider returning to her kid or not. Woody patted her side in both support and reassurance of her choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me Seven chapters to get them in!


	8. Slight Failure to Communicate...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buzz and Jessie to the rescue! and Woody and co get sidetracked.

"What do we do?!", Rex panicked and asked for the millionth time, after Buzz had had to give the status update on their return. Thankfully the Andersons were out on a hike. It wasn't that Casey wasn't in any trouble (far from it!) but the lecture and promise of official grounding when they were home was enough.

"Quiet everyone, we'll think of something", Buzz watched Jessie pace and tried to get the general worried murmur to a lower level so she could think. Jessie was not a new sheriff anymore, but this was still a bit hard.

The three LGM aliens returned from a small scouting trip and shook their heads after their mother helped them back in. Mrs. Potato Head sighed, "The stuffed snake saw nothing", she reported. One of the other kids in the RV park had been on the tour and had had a stuffed snake with them. They sent the LGM's to ask if she had seen anything on the way back, but she hadn't.

This news caused another general commotion of clamor. Jessie pulled her hat down over her head in frustrated thinking. "I have to go!", she finally blurted out the one thought she couldn't escape in trying to figure this. Everyone paused and looked to her.

"Jessie?", Buzz walked over.

Jessie stood up, decided now. "I have to go Buzz. I have to go find Trixie. It's what Woody would do".

"Eh yeah, and we could argue if it was always the best plan", Hamm muttered.

Rather than debate the distance and dangers of that distance, in woods, alone--as the conversation had been up to that point, Buzz nodded. "Well he never did it alone. I'm coming with you", he declared. Woody had done it alone, especially with Forky, but that wasn't really the point, and Jessie wasn't about to tell him not to come when she felt so much better if he was!

"Oh sure, and leave us with the psycho kid, that is a lot like what Woody and you would do", Mr. Potato Head complained to Buzz. Hearing about how Trixie fell hadn't helped their view of the boy. Dolly whacked him, "Don't worry you two, well hold down the fort here", she said, "Now go find Trixie".

Jessie smiled to her co-leader gratefully, then she and Buzz climbed out the back window, Buzz opening it and then closing it behind them . Jessie climbed down on her own and then held out a hand to help Buzz, but he did an impressive land himself, before smiling to her. "Alright Sheriff, let's go find a triceratops!". They rushed off.

* * *

"I'm afraid Forky's been gone for a while...and his wife Knifey", Trixie admitted along the ride to Great Basin. Woody slowly nodded, somehow that not surprising him, though he frowned sadly, yet was also happy to hear about Bonnie making another companion for him. Still, while fully a toy, the fork had always been destined to walk a line of permanency given his hand-made form. Maybe in the end they had both been right...

As the carnival set back up, in the very familiar area, it was Bunny who first noticed it. "Huh? Was the antique store always so...colorful?".

After a small inventory scan of toys that should be there, Woody and Bo turned to look towards Second Chance Antiques. A chalkboard standee-sign announced the store was under new management as well as an official opening date and some sales at that time, and the name stickers on the glass, while still classic gold, had a border of discreet color to them.

"Huh? It defiantly takes care of the...cobwebs look, though hopefully they kept the lamps", Woody turned to smile at Bo, but she hadn't caught his statement. She was looking at Trixie, who was staring straight ahead.

"What's up?", Woody walked over. Bo turned to him. "This is the wrong RV park apparently...".

"What?!", Woody looked stunned. "But...no, it's...it's the same one you were at before, I thought, because...".

"There's another one a few miles out, near the cabin...Dad doesn't like this one because of...last time", Trixie shifted her hooves. Of course she should have realized she wouldn't need a truck ride to get there, not when Bonnie and Casey had walked, she'd just been so happy to see Woody and so distracted chatting with him.

"So...we gotta go back...after we just...left", Bunny summed up, and flopped his head back with a sigh.

Woody paced, tugging at his own hat this time so like Jessie had just been doing, then sighed, "No, no. You all stay here, I...".

"Kid!", Giggle raised the alert. Woody and everyone had thought they were to the side of the park enough that this talk wasn't risky, and they still were, but all froze and flopped as a little girl came really far out near the bushes cover.

"Oh wow, look Blue!", Saylor, hardly able to believe her luck in gathering up toys for her next game, bent to peer at everyone. "Hmm...", she grabbed Bunny and Ducky, rushed them over to the unused sandpit, then came back. "and motorcycle guy...and...chief and...", after picking up Duke and Giggle, and setting them to the side, Saylor paused as she examined Woody. She was too young for her grandmother to have pulled out any home videos to bore her with, so just saw an interesting cowboy doll, but even without his badge she recognized that something special about him. Her face scrunched and she sighed, "I don't know Blue...", she turned and held him out as if asking her toy her opinion.

As her favorite toy (and something that Pete already knew) Blue was hardly ever a fully background role, and so even though Saylor debated giving Woody hers, she came around to a better way that still seemed to give the cowboy respect by not making him a prisoner.

"Ok ok, here's what Imma do. He can be the witness, yeah". On a scan by the toys she grabbed up Trixie as well and then rushed everyone over to the sandbox. Poor Bo and her sheep got left, but since Saylor was playing Prison, it was like a compliment she didn't think the pretty doll could be one.


	9. Another Point of View

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylor's playtime is interrupted and Woody and Co continue in planning to get Trixie home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't originally divide this up and sorry for the slight wait it caused, the other chapter just seemed long enough as it was.

With her toys selected, Saylor glanced over them once more and gave a nod. Yep, this would work!

Having the park near her parents’ new shop was exciting! She’d have extra toys and maybe kids to play with!

And a carnival was in town! Saylor planned to go try out the actual activities once they were a bit more open and set up. While she waited, she paced before the sandbox, wearing a pair of sunglasses she had also found, and which had set this whole idea off. Pete and Blue stood in front of the sandbox, since they were her trusty prison guards and all, and Pete was sitting on Dynamite. Saylor held Giggle, recognizing her as as a fellow cop, and since that was the current game.

_The park transformed to the prison, where even in his fancy guard uniform of a big city metropolis police department, Pete still sat on Dynamite, but could defend his choice. "Old Dynamite here's quicker than any fancy car, you just trust me Ma'am". Big City Police deserved a better titling than just Sheriff._

_Blue rolled her eyes, and from where she leaned against the wall while the Chief took over, Giggle looked at the man unsure._

_"Alright...", (_ Saylor looked over the motley crew of toys she'd gathered) _. Letting her top officer, Giggle, interrogate them had got them no where, the perps remaining stubborn. "We found you, Bunny Blue and Ducky Lucky!"_ , (one of Saylor's recent bedtime stories from her father had been Chicken Little) _"Head of the Plush Group known for robbing fifteen-thousand banks!"._

Outside play Ducky allowed himself one small smirk over to Bunny. He was liking their Rep! Bunny, who had just been passed up by a kid, couldn't deny this, and being a pivotal part of Playtime, was rather sweet!

_"As well as your accomplishment...", she meant accomplice, "Who was going to ride you out of town" she gestured at Duke in his other cell._

_"Just tell me you haven't hurt my bike!", was all Perp Duke wanted to know._

_"It'll be sold and it's all you deserve!", Blue snapped._

_"No!", Duke collapsed to his knees dramatically._

_The Chief of Police Saylor focused on the ring-leaders. "But! I want to know where the others are and where you plan to strike next!"._

_“It wasn’t us”, Bunny said coolly, “we were just in the area for the free candy samples”._

_“Lies!", Saylor exclaimed coming over to the bars. "That can’t be the reason, you are allergic to chocolate! Officer Tiny told me so!", she motioned to the officer to have caught them, standing a bit behind her, looking smug. She just nodded._

_Bunny narrowed his eyes._

_“It’s was non-chocolate candy!”, Ducky tried desperately._

_“What about what the local mayor says?”, Saylor next asked, gesturing to Woody._

_“This them?”, Giggle asked. Woody just gave a nod._

_Giggle sauntered up closer to whisper to Saylor._

_"What's that? Oh good idea Officer!", Saylor turned back to Bunny and Ducky. "We'll just let Officer Tiny question you, Ducky Lucky, while I take the Bunny. Just see if you both have the same story!"._

Mid-play, Saylor had that classic feeling of someone having taken notice of what she was doing, and glanced up to find an older girl, maybe Twelve, holding a very nice looking Barbie. In both senses of the word. The doll was dressed in an old 50’s hoop-skirt (though Saylor didn’t know the word for them) and her hair was down but neatly combed.

“Uh hi, wanna play?”, Saylor offered. “Your Barbie can...”.

“Barbie doesn’t play”, the older girl cut in, “she’s decoration”. The girl then glanced over the sandbox (and Saylor a bit) before looking surprised and walking up. “Is that a Duke Caboom?!”, she sounded awed and picked him up, then frowned. “See he’s all scratched, it ruins his value”.

“Uh, he’s not mine...I...I found him”, Saylor felt somehow this girl was blaming her. She then glanced over the toys (including her own) puzzled. Ruined? They seemed fine to her...

Thankfully the girl couldn’t take in Woody’s beat up condition from where he was under the tree to be leaning against the wall of the prison.

Then the girl saw Pete...

“What did they do to that one?!”.

Saylor scooped Pete up defensively, even if she hadn’t painted him. Her mother had though.

“Saylor...”, Amy had noticed her young daughter's interaction with the older girl, and heard her comment. She wasn't about to get insulted by what a preteen thought of her painting skills, but knew Saylor probably felt bad for her sake. Still Amy gave the girl a smile, before glancing to her daughter again and holding out her hand. "Come on, let's try out some of the carnival games before we meet Daddy at the diner for lunch", she casually figured she'd move the situation along.

"Ok", grabbing Dynamite and Blue also, Saylor turned to wave to the older girl before glancing back to the toys with another small smile.

"You're free to go". She then looked at her tiny clutched other fist and opened it to reveal Giggle again, "Keep an eye on them Officer and good work! You too sir", she saluted Woody, near as she could holding her toys, and then gently dropped Giggle on the edge of the sandbox.

From where she prepared to dart out for them, Bo watched anxiously until the older girl, to have been making such a point of keeping the toys in good condition, especially older Duke, apparently decided he was still too far gone and with a shrug left before even spotting Woody, who Bo was really worried about.

She then darted over driving the motorized skunk she’d left with the truck and grabbed again during the game, along with a spare car for her sheep to drive and to get everyone back to the bushes. Duke could drive his motorcycle of course.

“I’m not sure I approve releasing so many hardened criminals”, Giggle said, still in serious cop mode as they all exited.

“Ah, you had nothing on us!”, Bunny insisted, "but that poor Barbie!".

"Yeah", Ducky agreed, "never played with".

"I wonder how Pete took that talk", Woody shook his head, then noticed everyone glance to him in confusion. He laughed, realizing they were lost (and not their current lost toy state), and faced Bo, since she was easiest to explain to.

“Remember Stinky Pete I mentioned gave us all that trouble when we gained Bullseye and Jessie”, was all Woody had to say. He’d also told them about the little girl they sent him off with, or impressions of her.

Right ones off how he’d just looked.

"That was the once collectors toy?!", Bo sounded stunned.

“He seems to be doing well”, Woody ended with with a grin, Bo giving one of her own. It was well meant though and Woody had meant the move to do good for the bitter toy perhaps.

Everyone but Bo and her sheep were still lost, though, so Woody gave a general catch up of the story to them too.

"Huh, well maybe we should find this kid for that poor Barbie", Giggle said, "put her in a better environment".

"No...I think the girl's mother was that little girl", Woody explained.

"Oh, yeah, little late then", Ducky admitted.

Woody glanced over to Bo, and acknowledged something a bit surprising. "Hey...uh, sorry, by the way...that you got...well you know".

"Hmm? Oh, no, almost a full life-time on the road, that doesn't bother me", Bo waved a hand, but Woody watched her investigate her crook and thought it might. "She was just being careful, I can understand that, I mean just because her porcelain mule also...I mean it doesn't matter", Bo backed out of her own point.

There was a small silence. "Well, but how to get Trixie back...", Woody moved on, "preferably without walking all the way back".

"There's another option?", Trixie asked, stunned.

Woody rubbed his chin, "I'm thinking there is...and since we can't ask Buzz too easily".

This was enough of a hint on flight for Giggle to catch on. "No way!", she instantly crossed her arms.

Bo and Woody shared a look, "Gigs...you won't have to talk to him...", Bo began.

"Good! Because I won't!", Giggles spat.

"I, I don't get it; who?", Trixie looked between everyone, who all had some form of an amused look.

Duke rode over (poses and all even for that short distance) before leaning over, "I'm afraid Officer Mcdimples got her heart broke by...".

Within an instant, Giggles was over on Duke's bike and in his face! "If you don't want me to rearrange you so that your posing days are over...!".

Bo reached over and removed Giggles, "All the same he knows the area".

"He'll never get the triceratops up! It's a waste of time!", Giggles insisted. No one listened, and with Bo carrying her, Giggles was forced to follow them over to their next destination.

Since it was to help her, Trixie felt a bit bad, and leaned over as they walked, "You know...I'm very good at the internet...know lots of sites where you can vent about guys, and it's all under a screen-name so even other people wouldn't know you were...".

Bo shook her head at the triceratops that it was a vain effort. Online therapy would not help Giggles.


	10. A New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Recruits are added.

“Hey, Ace?”, Woody still safely called, for a just opened carnival of people, as they snuck under the curtain of Star Adventurer. Bunny and Ducky watched the carnie, currently dozed off, and for if he woke up.

He apparently wasn't the only one.

“He’s napping”, a stuffed painted horse tied next to the white and blue airplane in Top Prize spot said.

"The airplane?". Trixie tilted her head.

"No", Woody smiled and shook his head, "the airplane belongs to Ace, so he sticks by it to hop inside when and if it's won...and he won't let us give it to just any kid".

"Thinks he's too good for all of them!', Giggle was still in a sour mood.

Woody went over to behind the curtain, Bo and the others following. Since, as Woody had said, Ace kept a watch on his airplane, the door to the little place he'd made inside even the inside of the prize wall opened before Woody had to knock. A Lego Pilot regarded the cowboy doll curiously. "Sheriff?", he had picked up Woody's nickname off of Giggles and still kept to it sort of the same as she did, "What might I do for you this fine day? If it's about Bessie I told you I won't sell her for under Five-grand".

Trixie guessed Bessie was the plane...

"Dollars?", she looked at the assorted company confused. Toys didn't usually deal in actual money, and not that amount at any rate!

Arms still crossed, Giggle rolled her eyes, "No...he means winning five times five in a row! It's an impossible amount for any kid, even with our help! He's just being mean and stingy!".

Her words brought Ace's attention over to her. "Why is that Officer McDimples?", he gave a small bow that somehow annoyed Giggle further, probably because she knew he was going for that, "please tell me you're not here to impound my plane, my heart was bad enough".

There were held in laughs and smiles and eye-rolls. Giggle just seethed.

"After the havoc you caused that Caterpillar Village I should! But no...the sheriff here has a question", after forcing these words to him out under clear disgust, Giggle went back to ignoring Ace. Woody's Sheriff nickname was hard to drop.

"Ah, you still on that? I simply didn't see the little...".

"Ace", Woody cut in, before a full blown fight, or Giggle yelling her head off at Ace, interrupted his point and it was lost forever.

“Ooh! Kid!”, the horse raised the slight alarm. Everyone peeked out the curtains discreetly. Woody and his set preparing to aid said kid if need be and around their other mission of getting Trixie back. It was the same girl as before they noticed!

She carefully set her toys down on the counter, then looked at them, before turning around, "Mommy will you hold everyone?".

"Of course", Amy gave a small smile, but couldn't help wondering, careful of a kid as Saylor was, for five, if this extra caution had anything to do with the older girl they'd met. Oh well, Saylor really should be careful with the little porcelain mule. Amy gathered the set up as the carnie stretched himself to give the obligatory rules.

“Oh Dynamite look at the pretty pinto-pony! It’s just like the one that cowgirl from the one record rides! I want that one!”, Saylor still went on to him, even held in her mother's grip. She wasn’t being greedy, just falling in love a lot lately.

Plus her parents had an antique shop and she was at a carnival. She was supposed to find friend after friend right?

Woody, while curious about this record, moved on. He nodded to Bo. They had a direction on who to aim for.

“You’ll have to hit five”, the carnie bumped it up for some reason. Woody shot him an annoyed look at making their job tough.

"Hmm, he's taking after you", Giggle muttered to Ace. The Lego Pilot looked annoyed.

"Five?! He tries to give my plane away with three all the time!". He was shushed. Ace glanced the girl over discreetly. “Oh and she looks so nice...”.

Giggle was sure he only said that because of the spot, not the kid, and he (and his plane) had to have the kid associated with Top Spot shooting, whoever they were.

Saylor aimed her gun and fired. She missed. Woody went to move, but next noticed Bo do such, looking determined. Oh well, it didn't really matter which one of them it was. He smiled and shrugged. Still, with the carnie's impossible challenge, he watched, and rushed over to pull a few targets down himself while Bo was on the other side.

Getting the old "Chief-of-Police" of a moment ago to her quota was nothing.

“Here you go”, the un-enthused carnie handed her the horse. Saylor hugged her. Then she paused and turned, “Mom? What’s the bird of Oklahoma?”, she asked in the height of little kid random.

Amy looked caught out but did a quick phone search. “Uh...Scissor-tailed Flycatcher”.

“Imma call you Scissor-tail!”, Saylor said.

Woody watched with a small smile as she and her mom walked off. A Cowgirl's Pinto Pony in Oklahoma...he thought he knew the record she meant! Well, if he was right it just proved her a better kid than he'd originally thought, he thought humorously to himself.

“Wow! That is cool”, Trixie brought the cowboy’s attention back to her and her plight also. “Alright, now then, Ace. Help us out, or we’ll find an even cuter pony!”.

“You wouldn’t!”, Ace gasped. Thanks to what he’d just witnessed, the ploy worked. Woody grinned again.


	11. Howdy Partner pt1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Casey and Bonnie start to feel worse (as well as baffled) and Jessie has a plan!

"I left them right here! Honest!", Casey knew no one was likely to believe him, but still he had to try to defend himself as they all turned the RV upside down, almost, looking for Buzz and Jessie.

Bonnie wasn’t sure if she believed her little cousin or not, but she supposed she did; She also wasn't sure about Karma; except now she was really tempted to give the payback system credit.

Casey's father sighed, trying to be fair, "Are you sure you didn't set them somewhere beforehand?".

Casey nodded, "Yes, I mean no, they were right here. We got back, and I knew I was already in trouble about the triceratops so I put Buzz on the table. I didn't even touch the cowgirl".

Only Bonnie’s mother fully understood why her teenager daughter stared forward looking like her whole stomach sank. It was the cabin all over again; how could she ask them to waste too much time looking for old toys of hers and yet...

They hadn’t originated with her.

“Honey, Andy will understand”. Mrs. Anderson would never be able to call the son of her friend Mr. Davis.

Bonnie’s eyes shut and tears actually started to fall a bit.

“Andy?”, Casey looked confused while his cousin sat at the RV bench and buried her face in her hands from the weight of all she was feeling.

* * *

Andy Davis had never really counted the miles from the small town where the antique shop was to his and Amy's suburban home that was not bad for a still young couple with a five-year old by now, but going for another box of stuff (mostly things people had donated to him now once they got word he was running a "shop for their junk" as one of his college friends called it) and then back to the store he was starting to doubt the commute this business enterprise of his was going to cost...

Of course it wasn't his sole job; no one went into antiquing for a steady income, but...it felt right to the young man somehow. And was a bit more stable than his freelance writing. He wrote boring articles too, to pay the bills, but it was the short stories that still let his imagination work that he liked best, though those also got picked up less frequently and thus paid the least.

With her own artistic eye (and perhaps more bias!) Amy said his doodles were good enough to sell too, but Andy wasn't so sure on that end.

Him mostly writing and Amy trying to be an art teacher and sell paintings. It was a wonder Saylor ate some days. And of course this meant he and Amy should really stop giving her so many things she asked for (like actual inventory lamps from the shop that they could sell) but neither of them could deny her bright blue eyes.

Amy said because they were his exact blue eyes; Andy said because her whole face was Amy's and radiated her joy.

They really were both too sappy some days!

Smiling a secret smile over both his girls again, Andy decided the commute was fine all in all.

* * *

"Hmm...trees all sort of look the same...", Jessie mused as they walked, "Was it this way?". She wasn't doubting Buzz, just checking.

"I...thought so, but...you're right, and seen from a backpack...", Buzz admitted. Then he realized they were heading the wrong way, as they came out of the tree cover next to a road. "Blast!".

He looked up. "I could try to find a light pole, maybe coast us a few miles...since I still don't fly you know...". It wasn't a surprise, but still Buzz felt bad he couldn't fly somehow and sometimes.

"Nah...", Jessie watched as a pair of headlights approached. "I got a better idea!", she glanced behind them at a few discarded traffic cones a road crew must have left. Buzz didn't want to say he was worried, after all, she was Sheriff now, and her ideas had vastly improved since Sunny Side, even the flat tire he had sadly not witnessed.

* * *

It was broad daylight; so Andy was fairly certain the traffic cone was not there a second ago and had literally jumped out into the road! Much as that idea did not make sense. He swerved, veered even, and yet still felt his front tires hit the object...and then his car dash helpfully informed him of the flat tire.

* * *

Buzz and Jessie waited on the other side of the car, behind the right rear tire, so as to avoid being spotted by the driver as he stepped out to assess. "You know...we might need to get you onto another path of ideas than flats...", Buzz said.

Jessie shushed him. "Now when they go to the front, follow me and hop in".

Buzz stopped commenting and went with his Sheriff's lead.

"Now!", Jessie motioned them out at the exact right moment and they rushed around to hop in the open driver side door and clamor to the backseat floorboards. "How does this help us find Trixie? She's back at the cabin and who knows where he's going", Buzz allowed himself one question as to the plan.

"He's got a Great Basin sticker", Jessie whispered back, "and last time I remember hearing about a shuttle out to that cabin, since Great Basin's still the nearest town district".

"Great thinking!", Buzz grinned impressed...of course assuming it was still running ten years later, but he ignored that possible hiccup to the plan.

Jessie listened to the noises from outside of the driver going for his jack, thankfully in the trunk, and setting about fixing the flat. The firm closing of the trunk signaled it was done and then the driver got in, starting the car. So far so good! Jessie grinned at Buzz, pleased with herself and her idea, and the Space Ranger had to smile back at least a bit.

Just before setting out the driver's cell phone rang and he paused to answer it manually, "Amy, hey, yeah no I'm still coming back for lunch, just got held up. You...you're never going to believe it! I'll tell you when I get there".

Buzz and Jessie glanced to each-other, they didn't need to see the driver to know.

"Andy?!", the both whispered to each-other in shock. Jessie then grimaced, "If this comes up, do not tell Woody it was my doing!", she hissed to Buzz, both of them barely speaking.


	12. Friends Old and New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pete's never been sure if he feared this day, but now he does.

As Amy watched her girl happily...giving all of her toys hats (or she was pulling one napkin at a time out of the napkin holder and putting it on their heads from where they sat next to her in the booth...and this was what Amy interpreted it as) she started to wonder about going ahead and ordering what she knew Andy would get and taking all of it back to the store to eat there, when her husband finally came semi-rushing through the door to fall into the bench opposite her, beside Saylor. Amy blinked at how hurried and tired he looked. "Andy! Whatever happened?".

Andy swallowed and sat up, collecting his thoughts to try to begin the story.

"Daddy can I put my toys in the car? They might get messy here", Saylor didn't mean to interrupt but the thought just suddenly came up, and so she asked.

The five-year old herself, or that almost-kindergarten mentality, was not so hard to understand that Amy shouldn't have seen where the statement came from and what it lead to, but she was preoccupied with wondering what on earth had happened to Andy to cause him to be so flustered, and...didn't give it her full attention.

For his part, Andy didn't know it had to mean anything.

"Yes, of course, I'll do it for you if you want...", Andy quickly switched mental tracks.

"No, I got them!". Saylor hopped down with everyone gathered in her arms, and so Andy just followed, unlocking the car for her and watching from the sidewalk, still trying to figure out if he was honestly going to go repeating this incident he believed had happened to him of suddenly appearing traffic cones.

Surely he was making it up...it wouldn't actually be that unusual.

On gingerly placing her toys in their car carrying bag over the front seat , Saylor noticed a boot peeking out from under the driver's seat, and when she pulled it, a whole cowgirl doll came out! She gasped and looked at it, almost called her father's attention to it, then decided for some odd childish reason not to. She put cowgirl doll in the bag with everyone. On top, and Pete noticed with some relief that Scissor-Tail and Blue gave him a good hedge of being noticed, and his didn't move from his frozen toy state one bit!

Saylor didn’t know the Woody’s Round Up characters, besides Pete, by sight, and this might not actually be a Jessie doll...but if it was...and she already had her pony! It was perfect!

She knew her daddy didn't know she was there, because he would have told her about her if he did, but she also didn't bother herself with how she got there. Closing the car door, Saylor rushed back towards the restaurant.

* * *

As soon as they were gone, and thankfully before giving thought to the other toys, Jessie scrambled to the backseat again, just to get out of the enclosed space but also rushing to the window as quick as she could to try to see both of the departing humans. She didn't make it in time and sighed.

"Jessie?", Buzz came out again. The cowgirl turned to him, both smiling and looking sad.

"Did you see her, Buzz? That was Andy's little girl! I...I tried to see him too, but...they'd already gone inside". Jessie played with her braid.

Buzz wanted to point out it could be any kid, but...Jessie was probably right. "I...didn't get as good a look as you", he smiled softly. There was a pause, then...

"We...we can't stay", Buzz pointed out, "Trixie? Remember? We have to".

"Yes, of course, you're right", Jessie nodded.

"Still...I think I can remember a license plate. In case we're ever curious", Buzz went on. Jessie smiled at him.

He and Jessie then noticed that during this talk the other toys in the bag (mostly) had come out, and turned to the Velociraptor, Mule and Pony.

"Hi! Are you new too?", The Pony asked.

Buzz went to answer, while the porcelain mule hopped back over to the bag and peered in. "Pete aren't you coming out too?".

"There's no Pete here, I'm Hank, go away".

The name wouldn't have made Jessie too suspicious but the voice did!

"Wait a cotton-picking..."

Though before she'd have maybe said she wanted it, the sound of voices coming nearer made all the toys pause. _No, not yet..._

Forced to drop her previous thought, Jessie dove back in the bag, and Buzz, though he didn't belong there, followed. Maybe Andy's girl wouldn't question it...

"I'm sorry I made you both get yours to go", Andy said as he got back in the car. Amy sitting in the passenger seat and Saylor climbing in the back, discreetly checking on her cowgirl doll...who now had a clear shot of Stinky Pete and was shooting him as many daggers as she could turned away from Saylor's view. As safely as he could, the prospector gave her a sheepish sort of smile of greeting. The cowgirl's eyes narrowed even more and already Pete's cloth shoulders hurt from the pounding she was sure to inflict.

"It's no trouble, Andy, now what were you saying?", Amy reassured then asked. Andy sighed again, but went into the story as they drove to the store once more. Amy and Saylor had walked from the carnival and so there was only the one car. The family only owned the one car anyway.


	13. Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jessie confront's Pete and Ace has a plan

Blue, Scissor-tail and Dynamite just watched in utter fascination, and some mixed feelings (Scissor-tail felt she should be on the cowgirl's side somehow though she'd known Pete a whole hour or so more), as Pete was knocked down onto the counter's smooth surface by the cowgirl doll and pinned, his arms threatening to rip out of their sockets by how hard she was pulling.  
  
"Jessie! Jessie!", Buzz tried to intervene.  
  
"You no good, low-down, son of a skunk's butt!".  
  
"Ah! I'm sorry, ok, it's been what? Twenty years?!", Pete tried to interject a word or two in, "I've learned, I've had two kids by now! Both girls sure, but I swear the Barbies aren't the reason I hang around. Saylor doesn't have any. Ah!".  
  
"Jessie!", Buzz finally succeeded in getting the cowgirl to step back. Pete scrambled away. Stood, and dusted himself.   
  
"Jessie, I...I don't blame you for wanting to take my arm off, both of them even", he began.  
  
"It'd only be fair!", the cowgirl said, seemingly trying to get from around Buzz and at him again.  
  
"I know, I know", Pete held his hands up, "and I also know sorry won't do, but...can you try and believe I'm a changed toy?".  
  
"No!", Jessie stubbornly said.  
  
"Come on Jessie", Buzz held her out from him and whispered, "a Sheriff doesn't act like this...". He was still wary himself, and followed as Jessie seemingly calmly walked over to Pete. Both were tensed for any quick movements from her though.  
  
"You don't deserve Andy's little girl...or him", Jessie landed on, pointing at him fiercely. She hadn't had Woody's level of faith, but after all the boy had done right for them in the end...  
  
Pete sighed, "Truer words were never spoken. That girl's an undeserved blessing every day". Jessie glanced him over, seemingly looking for signs of a lie. He'd fooled her for so many years, she didn't know what she could trust.  
  
Pete meanwhile noticed something else. Jessie's badge. "Sheriff?", he glanced to her surprised, then glanced aside, "I didn't notice he didn't have it", he said as if realizing this fact all of a sudden.  
  
"You saw Woody!", Jessie looked floored for a moment; as did Buzz.  
  
Then the Prospector was in a head-lock by the cowgirl, "What did you do to him you...?!"  
  
“Can I help you put it up?", Saylor asked as she helped carry in the box of donations from a neighbor for the store.  
  
Quickly everyone darted back to her car-bag she'd brought in.  
  
"Sure", Andy smiled, "But only if you finish up your lunch for you Mommy, and you have to be careful, like you are with your lamp". Their take-out still sat on the counter where Jessie had challenged Pete, thankfully undisturbed by this commotion, and while Andy was alright with grabbing a bite here and there amidst his work, he would not let his young daughter work off that routine and fully planned to help Amy with the struggle of getting a five-year old to eat sometimes, and especially around distraction.  
  
As she came in behind them, with a painting she'd bought off a carnival dealer at fair price (and darn proud to have done so!) Amy's attention was caught by this reminder it wasn't wrong of Andy to give, still...  
  
Opening the box, Saylor found it was more dishes. "Daddy why's everything old breakable?", she asked as she handed a plate to him to put on its holder.  
  
Andy chuckled at his daughter’s adorable questions (Amy has told him about Scissor-tail outside Saylor’s hearing) “Well they aren’t all, but they didn’t have things like plastic so used cloth and china, and after so long of being around they’re just...tired sometimes”. He found for a way for the Five-year old to grasp it as he took plates she handed and put them up.  
  
"Uh, Andy, can I talk to you?", Amy made sure by her tone that her husband knew it wasn't anything he'd done, exactly, but she did want to bring up earlier at the carnival and ask his opinion on how they should proceed...and maybe if he knew he would stop saying such things as reminding Saylor to be careful where she didn't need such.  
  
"Oh, sure", Andy followed her over to another part of the store.  
  
"Saylor, finish up your nuggets", Amy still didn't forget that part as they walked over to some shelves where they could still see her, but she couldn't hear their whispered conversation.

* * *

“Alright then”. Ace unfurled a map from one of the tourist stands. "Now, Bessie and I can lift the triceratops and myself no problem, but I'm afraid the rest of you would prove a weight consideration".  
  
"You always did know how to flatter", Giggle crossed her arms. She would have done better to not call Ace's attention back to her at all...  
  
Tipping his pilot's hat up, he gave her a smile, "Aww, well of course I didn't mean any insult, and actually, you could ride with me in the cockpit if you...".  
  
"Pass", Giggle glared.  
  
Ace sighed, "This isn't just about the worms, is it?"  
  
"Caterpillars!", Giggle declared, then shook her head, muttering to herself.  
  
From where she watched, and though she was no relationships expert, Trixie leaned over to Bo, "Um...isn't she aware he's saying these things on purpose for her attention?". Bo just shook her head. Giggle and Ace was such a lost cause by this point, and Lost Toys didn't typically say such.  
  
"Anyway, if we follow this line from here to the other park we should be right, and I hear the triceratops..."  
  
"...who has a name...", Giggle commented to herself  
  
"...is very tech savy", Ace said, not noticing Giggle's input, "With that, maybe Miss Peep, you and your team could track us from the ground?".  
  
Bo nodded, "If Trixie says she can do it, I trust Woody to say he trusts her to let her do such". Trixie was about to ask where they would find a computer, when Bo whistled and her sheep brought over a lost phone. "Can you use one of these?", she still checked, but not insulting the dinosaur's tech skills.  
  
"Uh, yeah, or I can tell you how to set it up", Trixie said, glancing to her paws, which she liked all in all, but were more useful on a keyboard than a touch screen, especially one that small.


	14. Unlikely Help Still

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Casey get's closer to a solution than he knows!

Casey hated that disappointed feeling he felt his whole family had concerning him. He had to fix this somehow!  
  
How exactly was the tricky part.  
  
The boy kicked an old soda can across the pavement of their spot in the RV park, as he thought this over. Though he knew the toys were not there, he peered around the nearby poles and bushes, hopeful still. But of course it was no use. They were gone. Because of him.  
  
Well, again, he didn't actively recall loosing the other two...though he had played with Buzz almost exclusively so it must have been him!  
  
The boy sighed and slumped at the bench the spot also came with, along with a grill. His dad and uncle were going to come out and grill a late lunch at some point, he knew, but that wasn't why he was sitting there already.  
  
 _How to find a toy lost somewhere along the road between the RV park and nearest town they had briefly visited?_  
  
He sighed again, it was impossible, there was no way!  
  
"You sure you got the right wrench?", Bonnie's father asked his brother as they exited.   
  
"Sure I'm sure, got the receipt right here", the younger of the Anderson brothers said, showing it from the bag he held where some of the tools they had bought still were. A generic town brochure fell out with it. Casey hadn't seen the town, though, the hardware store being pretty much the first thing.  
  
That would make the brochure they just put in each of their bags interesting, perhaps, but what really caught the boy's attention was one word on the side.  
  
 _Antiques_.  
  
 _It meant old stuff didn't it?_ Neither of the toys were old but... _if someone knew old toys maybe..._  
  
It was a half-baked idea, but perhaps enough.  
  
Casey waited until his dad and uncle went back inside the RV, thankfully not caring about, or noticing, the brochure. Quickly he moved from the bench to grab it and then return to his seat, reading furiously. Thankfully it seemed written at about a Second Grade Level, or Casey didn't really need to know what the big words were. An antique store with contact info was enough!  
  
Casey scanned it, his idea working feverishness through his brain...maybe just maybe!  
  
While the adults worked at lunch, Casey took Zurg off to 'play'. No one could complain if he lost his toy, and it was just an excuse to go towards another old thing he'd spotted.

"They apparently used to be phones...", Casey whispered in awe to Zurg as he stared at the rusty payphone that was still around for some reason. Glancing around, Casey walked up and lifted the receiver, listening.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Thankfully Mom had watched a movie with one of these once, though, so he knew they took money. Casey dug a dime for emergency candy purchases out of his pocket and put it in, messing with stuff until he heard something, then he carefully copied the number from the brochure to the buttons...and tried to remember his old man voice.  
  
"Yes! Hello!", he was too surprised at first as someone picked up to remember, but then did. "This is Baron...Baron Duke", _that sounded like a guy who would be calling an antique store_ , "I have a bunch of stuff to give you, but...I lost one, and it's not an old toy anyway, but...does your town go through and collect lost toys and...do you know where they put them? Then I can find it and give it to you...".  
  
Again, Casey figured this was worth about as much as any other idea...

* * *

From the other end of the phone, and after he blinked in surprise at the voice he heard when he picked up the recently installed phone of the shop, Andy Davis controlled his smile, afraid it might make his amusement too audible in his voice somehow. It was more than clear it was a kid calling, but...Baron Duke; it was not a bad name all in all, Andy had respect for the kid's imagination.

He debated between playing along, and calling the kid out (his parents could be having to pay for this call still). Giving a glance over to where Saylor was, having found an old trunk, and just helping Amy still keep an eye on her, Andy then glanced back down to the counter as he went on, shifting the phone. He decided on coming clean sooner rather than later, but not crushing the kid's spirit with it. "Well a few miscellaneous toys have ended up here, I've noticed, but mostly it's older things. Though if you're really concerned, you can have your parents bring you by and I'll look for you, promise". Andy smiled.

* * *

Casey paused a bit as the man's words proved he had seen through the ruse. He glanced down ashamed, even if he wasn't currently there to see. "Yes, Sir, sorry for the trouble". He smiled again as the man on the other end went on in a seemingly understanding tone still before hanging up.

Well Plan B it was then!


	15. More Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pete to the Rescue. What? Yes!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait on this! I didn't forget though and updates are coming!

After lunch, Saylor went back to playing, wheeling around an old doll carriage she'd found and placing all of her toys, old, new and newer, inside of it, and making the circuit of the store, humming softly. With the brim up, Pete was sheltered in enough to be able to move and glance about slightly, which he did. "Hmm...I don't know this game...", he admitted lowly to the others.  
  
"Well after what I, and we've, been through I think I'll just enjoy some quiet luxury for a bit, and if the dear girl doesn't mind", Buzz whispered back, lounging back against the padded side of the carriage, but nodding towards Jessie as he said this, and acknowledging that the cowgirl had had it as bad, if not worse, than he had all along their trek, and semi-short as it was.  
  
Jessie giggled a bit (though curbed the sound in) at Buzz, the proud Space Ranger, ‘enjoying luxury’. She would have thought defeating Zurg was his luxury, though maybe that was his show's counterpart more than him.  
  
Before this thought could lead to remembering too much his brainwashed serious alter-ego, the cowgirl changed the direction of her thoughts and glanced about as they made their way along, still under the safe cover of the carriage hood. Unlike Woody and Forky's ride with Gabby Gabby (though it was her same old doll carriage) there was no ambient record music, because Saylor hadn't put one on, but that was almost better and the ride was nice.  
  
_Babies in a Carriage_ perhaps? In terms of the game? A bit boring when Saylor was known for better, and Pete actually feeling "his girl" (as he easily enough thought of her and after her mother as well) wasn't giving the best representation of her vast imagination he knew she had, same as both of her parents. Amy's designs had also been inspired for her age, on toys and paper alike.  
  
_Oh well, maybe they’d soon move on to a better game._  
  
It was this thought that made Pete feel conflicted as, after once around the store, Saylor rushed off, presumably for other things to add to the game...  
  
But perhaps that was also her leaving the toys unsupervised and with Jessie’s current grudge not fully dealt with...  
  
Pete subtly glanced for either Andy or Amy, just in case, before more hesitantly glancing over towards Jessie, but whether because of that "Space Toy’s" presence or not, she seemed content to not attack him at least, and just glared.  
  
“So, are you Saylor’s too now?”.  
  
Buzz and Jessie glanced over to the porcelain mule they had noticed before in the box and on the counter as he asked this. The dinosaur and painted horse looked curious about that as well.  
  
Though Blue next looked doubtful of the statement and even with all she didn’t know. “I somehow don’t think so...how’d you get here?”, she asked; not suspiciously, but almost like she might have a hunch.  
  
Buzz and Jessie glanced to each other, then the Space Ranger sort of avoided the direct question. Pete was their current look-out for people, and because it was easier than facing Jessie again.  
  
“We are on a mission”, Buzz said, “to find a lost blue Triceratops”.  
  
He didn’t expect the mule to next look so enthused, or Blue glance over sharply, surprised as well, from giving Pete a second set of eyes in that even as she listened. She let Dynamite take it, though.  
  
“Oh! We saw her!”, the mule said.  
  
“You did?!”, Buzz and Jessie asked at the same time.  
  
“Yeah, or me, Pete and Blue did. She was one of the prisoners in the sandbox outside when we played _Big City Cop_...or whatever she called it”. Saylor hadn’t actually titled the game.  
  
_Saylor_...something in Jessie approved the name. It wasn’t western exactly...nautical if anything...but... _ah leave it to Andy!_  
  
“Did Saylor take her with her?! Where is she?”, Jessie leaned towards the informative mule.  
  
"No", and Dynamite shook his head sadly, as if sorry to have to give such news, "she...left the ones that weren't hers in the park when they left".  
  
"Including Woody", Pete added in.  
  
"She played with Woody?! Does he know?", Jessie was so awestruck by both of her questions even as she asked them, that her anger at Pete had faded from her shocked tone. The Prospector looked genuinely sad as he shook his head.  
  
"Not...actually, and no", he informed.  
  
"Oh...", _well_ , Jessie realized, _better he didn't know she was Andy's if she didn't actively play with him._  
  
Pete went to say more, in defense of Saylor no doubt, but Blue sounded the alert, "She's coming!".  
  
Everyone froze.  
  
"I found it!", Saylor informed her toys happily and held out a beautiful, antique box that still made Jessie worry a bit. _No, no, don't worry until you're given reason to..._ , she reminded herself. Also of all she had gone and been through. She had once allowed herself to be sealed up to save Woody, she could handle a little doubt.  
  
Jessie reminded herself of this even as Saylor bent and went on, "Ok, now we gotta keep you safe, like that big girl said".  
  
"I knew she was trouble when I--", Pete muttered. Buzz and and Blue hissed for him to quiet.  
  
"Ok...", Saylor considered her toys, and sort of smart for a five-year old, who would be best to squish (or not squish!) who. "Scissor-Tail on bottom...then Dynamite...um, no you can go back on your lamp", Saylor set him back on his base, "but...then cowgirl Jessie, space-man, Blue...".  
  
With only Pete left in the carriage, the door dinged as a customer walked in. Saylor closed her box, deciding she'd figure out where best to put him later, and, picking up Pete just so she didn't lose him until then, placed her box on the counter with her lamp, where it was known to be hers and wouldn't be sold, before watching as her father talked to the older woman, who was looking for a radio.  
  
"Oh! I saw one!". Eager to help, and as the woman smiled like she was the most adorable thing ever, Saylor set Pete by the lamp and rushed over to show the lady the radio she'd seen on her taking the carriage around.  
  
Once she, Andy and the customer were around the corner, Pete glanced to ensure Amy wasn't near and then hopped up. Already his mind worked (as he cursed that it had to be him to come up with the plan now!), and rushing over he only pushed at the lid of the box once to find it was sealed tight, or tighter than he could work it free. "Don't worry Jessie, for once I won't fail ya, I got a plan...", he shouted through the keyhole before rushing over to Dynamite. The little mule had painted on reigns, but not real ones, so Pete put his arm around his neck in a similar move to grabbing his reigns. "You aint exactly a steed, and I aint no cowboy, but come on, we're all they've got!", he lead Dynamite to the edge of the counter, and glancing down, pondered the best way down while he also hoped his half baked plan would work...


	16. Mending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pete finds help and Bonnie tries get Casey out of his slump.

After getting everyone set up, and explaining the controls to Bo, Trixie took her place to be strapped in under Ace's airplane. Ace "borrowed" Bessie all the time from the prize wall, though they had to wait until things were calming down at the carnival and the toy was the least likely to be noticed missing. "Alright little lady, ya ready?", Ace asked. Along with having named his plane "Bessie", the more Trixie came to know the Lego-pilot, the more she realized, if he had any kind of vibe to him at all, it was a bit of the farm boy turned military pilot perhaps.

World War II maybe, off his red scarf, but he was a modern made Lego piece.

Bessie, meanwhile, was just a powder blue toy airplane no doubt originating with the Carnival, more or less. All the better for Trixie. A Lego plane wouldn’t hold her up.

Still, it brought questions.

“Ace...did you come with a plane set?”, Trixie hesitantly asked once the plan was set, and the two about to set off, with Bo, Woody and the others tracking. Ace looked to her after checking a rope and as he was about to climb into Bessie’s cockpit. He smiled.

“Ah, no need to worry. It’s not too bad of a story...yes I did. I was gifted, complete with airplane set, or more accompany piece, to a set of twins; Molly and Matt. They were supposed to share but that didn’t work so well and Molly actually claimed my plane, telling Matt ‘he could have me and make another plane’. You can guess how _that_ went”, Ace chuckled as he climbed into the cockpit. “Then Matt just lost track of me, vacuum cleaner, trash. Common story for my kind”.

“Oh...sorry”, Trixie still said. Ace waved her off though.

“Poor Giggle’s had it worse, you know for everything, I’ve never been swallowed...she won’t talk about it of course”. Trixie knew they didn’t have time to ask on relationship stuff. Though Trixie’s curiosity did turn beneficial.

“Ok”, Ace said, ”Now let’s get you...”.

He’d only paused a moment longer for this talk, but it was all that was needed. 

“Sheriff! Sheriff!”. Prospector Pete's hunch, that Woody would still be nearby, proved true, and the Prospector hoped maybe some politeness would gain him points. He looked and sounded almost straight out of his and Woody’s show as he rushed up and jumped off of Dynamite breathless. The mule had been very brave about the trip off the counter and ran fast as he could Pete knew. He was sorry he couldn’t give him a real carrot as reward.

“I...Jessie and the Space Man need your help”, Pete gasped out. For being better, Pete still categorized Buzz’s set, but it was better than his nickname.

* * *

Casey sighed and lowered his head onto the top of the RV table. Plan B was a bust too. He didn’t know why he thought he’d be able to find an online Buzz Lightyear _and_ somehow order it without any of the grown-ups noticing. He didn't have his Mom's card info, just as well as he would be in more trouble if he used it.

And now he should close his mother’s laptop before anyone did notice...

“What are you doing?”, it was just Bonnie, and she only sounded intrigued, still Casey’s gaze snapped behind him from where she’d come from the back of the RV. He’d forgotten she was in here and thought he was alone.

“Nothing!”, Casey said in panic, then sighed, coming clean, “Looking for a Buzz...”.

“Oh...”, Bonnie sat across from him and, as Casey closed the laptop, the cousins regarded each other semi-awkwardly. Bonnie knew Casey hadn’t meant it...just like she hadn’t when younger than him...

“I...tried to call the Ranger station again too...about your dinosaur...”, Casey went on. That call he'd been able to use his Mom's phone for after asking her, and not just for the points his "trying" got. Bonnie blinked at him. “They were busy and I couldn't get through”, the boy went on.

“What time?”, Bonnie asked, and smiled a small bit.

“Just before I tried this. A few minutes ago...”, Casey answered.

Bonnie laughed, “Oh that was because I was calling about the same”.

“Oh...”, it was Casey’s turn to say. Then, since he looked like he might apologize again, Bonnie reached over to take and squeeze his hand. “I don’t think you should be grounded twice, I know you didn’t mean it, Casey...now...I’m not allowed to do anything too fun with you...so we can’t hit the carnival, but...you’re not grounded until after the trip...want to go to the park? I found one nearby. Maybe one of our dad's will take us?”.

It was a small chip at ice-breaking. Casey grinned, pleased Bonnie wouldn’t hate him forever or anything. “Sure!”.


	17. In Motion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pete continues with trying to convince, but maybe he doesn't have to...

Woody continued to just stare at Pete, like Jessie had, trying to read how much he trusted. Meanwhile Bo pat Dynamite, whatever they decided about how trustworthy the Prospector was, recognizing the grand job the porcelain mule had done to find them. Billy, Goat and Gruff then gave him a greeting, mostly nuzzles. The porcelain animals currently being the least tense.

After sort of sharing Playtime, Woody wanted to believe Pete; couldn't see what the angle would be, but at the same time...

Something in him stubbornly closed off again. "Jessie and Buzz aren't even here, now if you'll excuse me we have to...".

Pete knew he couldn't really blame Woody his suspicions, but he sort of snapped (not helping the cause no doubt) and frowned pointedly. "I thought you helped toys, Sheriff!", he then scoffed, "Oh that's right, Jessie's got more honor than you currently, too bad she's trapped".

"By your kid wasn't it?", Bo challenged. Other than spotting him before, she'd never officially met Pete, but she still didn't like what she'd heard on him.

The Prospector's look softened, same moment as Bo's own. She seemed to realize how harsh that sounded, and, with another pat to Dynamite, relented a bit (and since it made her sound almost bitter where she wasn’t). “I mean...she seems a good kid, and that’s part of it...”.

Bo didn’t want to say this was hard to swallow about the girl they’d seen, but...

"It aint like that, she doesn't know what she's doin'", Pete sighed again and shook his head, “It’s all that older girl’s fault! I know you saw her, she’s convinced Saylor we’re all safer in a box!”. He looked back to Woody, fire gone out, "Look I know I aint got no right to ask nothin' from ya...but Jessie does don't you think?". Woody turned back to him, trying to read if this was a trap, though he already knew it wasn't.

“But how...”, he began.

Pete guessed out the question. “They showed up, searching for...well her I’d guess”, Pete gestured to Trixie, “a blue triceratops”.

Everyone looked to Trixie, then back to Pete. _Ok, so that would check out for actions from both Jessie and Buzz..._

“And then...”.

“It’s that boy again”, Ducky sounded the alarm, though also sounded a small bit like this could work out well, and at least solve their current issue of how to get Trixie back! Though...now they possibly had _another_ issue to deal with!

At any rate, everyone needed to freeze, now, and did so.

* * *

  
‘Nearby' was of course relative. For Bonnie and her father, the shuttle bus Jessie had mentioned between the two camps traversed the few miles easily; or easier than the toys' plans were having to engineer.

Casey was rethinking what he’d promised his father and Bonnie, and being alright with just the park and bypassing the carnival next door, as soon as they were near it. Still, he knew he couldn’t push his luck, and was stuck with just a day at the park. Which he should take and not complain about.

He scanned for what he wanted to do. Not the merry-go-round thing, that was too babyish even for a seven-year old. _Hmm...maybe the swings..._

Casey started to walk over towards them when a spot of something caught his eye. Movement he would have said, but that was silly, no, the light was playing off something on the side walk up ahead...

One of the two porcelain figures perhaps, yet as Casey got closer his eyes widened. Was that...

"Bonnie! Bonnie come here, I found one of them!". Never-mind how! In fact he should have believed more easily it was another dinosaur but...nah it was his cousin's! It just had to be! Casey scooped Trixie up, feeling a small bit saved. It still didn't get her Buzz back but one thing at a time! ~~And the harder one to solve! No one was probably selling a random dinosaur online.~~

Bonnie came rushing up after him, looking just as stunned to see Trixie, "What in the world...". Her eye was then drawn to the jumble of others, and she looked even more stunned. _It couldn't be!_

Bending, Bonnie picked up Woody.

"Oh, cool cowboy", Casey commented, almost off-handedly.

"It's...the one I lost...before...I'm sure of it", Bonnie said, still sounding stunned even as she stood. She cracked a small smile. "Hey Woody; sorry about that", the apology Woody never asked for, for all of it, still came, years late. Though _now_ Woody was hoping the girl's head wasn't where he knew it was. Great as it would be to see everyone again, it would set whatever their plan was back if he was separated from the team, as it were, now...

Casey sort of knew the story Bonnie meant, and from the small clues in that conversation with his aunt even when he'd lost Buzz along with Trixie. "I wonder who owns all the others", Casey said, scanning over them.

"I don't know, maybe leave them in case they come back", Bonnie was still distracted, thinking through what to do now, which was to walk over and check with her father if they still had Andy Davis' number. He at least deserved to be told the toy he'd entrusted to her was now found. "Casey stay put, I'll be right back", Bonnie said, as she walked over to where her father and uncle were. The boy nodded and scanned over the toys again, glad of that small bit of trust that hadn't seen Bonnie take Trixie back even and trusted him not to lose her again.

That meant if he _did_ play, he should do so carefully, he knew. He pondered what would be a safe game while Bonnie made her call.

Pete, meanwhile, pondered this change in plan. His own mission could have just become a whole lot easier. It wasn't going to be all that hard for the older girl to get in touch with Andy, and his shop was just over near the park. "Come on Dynamite", he whispered when Casey was _just_ far enough away to be able to do so safely, "We gotta get back". He could continue with trying to convince Sheriff Woody from there if need be.

While they still hadn't resolved much of anything, Bo went with the small bit of the Prospector's story that led credence to his being on the up and up and nodded to Bunny and Ducky. "We'll cover you". They moved so as to block Pete and Dynamite just in case Casey turned and so he wouldn't see the two sneaking off before they were out of direct line of sight.


End file.
